The present invention relates generally to powerboat motors and more particularly to alarms and ignition disabling systems for powerboats that are responsive to the relative position of a trolling motor.
Systems that provide position sensing and response capability when a predetermined position or change in position of an object occurs have been disclosed for a variety of applications such as vehicle theft prevention, medical patient monitoring, earthquake detection, and to a limited extent, powerboat motors. Position sensing is generally accomplished in the related art with mercury switches, transducers and comparator circuits, variable resistance devices, infrared detectors, and other electrical devices. When a threshold position or condition has been registered by the position sensor, the sensor transmits a signal to a response device such as an alarm to warn an operator of an undesirable position of the object.
Relative position sensing is commonly accomplished in the related art with a mercury switch, wherein mercury flows to a pair of contacts to provide electrical continuity when a predetermined orientation or position of the object has occurred. For example, the mercury switches disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,137 to Lloyd and U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,755 to Holzgang et al. sense the displacement of a patient relative to a reference and initiate an audible alarm when a certain threshold position is exceeded. Similarly, the mercury switch disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,010 to Herman senses the gross horizontal and vertical position of a level, wherein, both an audible and a visible indication of position is generated.
An additional application of a mercury switch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,300 to Ho et al. for automobile theft prevention. Ho employs a mercury switch to sense the general movement of a vehicle and to initiate an alarm. The device of Ho also communicates with the ignition system of the vehicle to cut off power when the alarm is activated. Unfortunately, the device of Ho does not sense the relative position of the vehicle and is not further activated by the ignition system. Additionally, the mercury switches of the related art are also prone to false alarms when the object or device is randomly displaced after a desired condition has been achieved.
The related art does not appear to provide a relative position sensing device or method to warn the operator and/or disable the ignition system of a powerboat when the trolling motor remains deployed in the water as the outboard motor is engaged. Often times, operators accidentally start the outboard motor and apply normal take-off throttle without first pulling the trolling motor out of the water. If the trolling motor is not properly stowed before engaging the outboard motor, severe damage to both the trolling motor and/or the powerboat structure could result from the forward thrust produced by the outboard motor. For example, the shaft of the trolling motor could be permanently bent or broken, and/or the trolling motor mounts to the powerboat structure could be damaged, thereby resulting in costly repairs and an abrupt ending to an otherwise enjoyable fishing experience.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a device that can warn or prevent a powerboat operator from starting and engaging the outboard motor when the trolling motor remains deployed in the water. The device should also be inexpensive and capable of being affordably retrofitted into existing powerboat systems.
In one preferred form, the present invention provides a trolling motor position responsive system that warns or prevents a powerboat operator from engaging the outboard motor while the trolling motor remains deployed in the water. The position responsive system generally comprises a trolling motor position sensor that senses the relative position of the trolling motor and transmits a signal to activate an alarm and/or an ignition disabling switch when an operator attempts to start the outboard motor while the trolling motor remains deployed in the water. Accordingly, the alarm warns the operator that the trolling motor remains deployed in the water, and the ignition disabling switch prevents the operator from starting or engaging into motion the outboard motor. Either one or both the alarm or the ignition disabling switch may be employed according to the specific requirements of the operator.
The position responsive system further comprises an interval-on relay in communication with the trolling motor position sensor and the alarm and/or ignition disabling switch to limit the amount of time that the alarm and/or ignition disabling switch are activated. If the operator attempts to engage the outboard motor while the trolling motor remains deployed in the water, the alarm and/or ignition disabling switch are activated for a predetermined amount of time, for example, approximately five (5) seconds. After the predetermined amount of time, the operator may engage the outboard motor and proceed at their own risk.
Often times, an operator may desire to slowly maneuver the powerboat with the outboard motor rather than the trolling motor at a speed that will not result in any damage. Accordingly, the interval-on relay allows the alarm and/or the ignition disabling switch to be bypassed after a predetermined amount of time for such an operating condition. Additionally, the interval-on relay may be employed to prevent against wave-induced alarms or activation of the ignition disabling switch with certain types of trolling motor position sensors as described in greater detail below.
The trolling motor position sensor in one form is a mercury switch that is mounted to a shaft of the trolling motor. Since mercury within the mercury switch may randomly move about while the powerboat 10 is traversing through the water, intermittent electrical continuity may be created, thereby causing inadvertent activation of the alarm and/or the ignition disabling switch. Accordingly, the interval-on relay prevents against such wave-induced alarms.
Other devices may also be employed to sense the relative position of the trolling motor including, for example, a mechanical limit switch, a proximity switch, an optical switch, or a water sensing device. With the use of a water sensing device to sense the relative position of the trolling motor, the requirement of an interval-on relay may be eliminated because the water sensor may not produce false alarms due to waves since the water sensor would be completely out of the water when the trolling motor is properly stowed during normal cruising operations.
The alarm in one form is an audible electric buzzer that warns the operator when the trolling motor remains deployed in the water. Other alarms may also be employed in other forms of the present invention, for example, a light such as an LED (light emitting diode) mounted to the helm, or a computerized voice warning. In addition to disabling the ignition system with an ignition disabling switch, responsive systems that initiate automatic stowage of the trolling motor into a properly stowed position are also provided.
Communication amongst the trolling motor position sensor, the interval-on relay, the alarm, and the ignition disabling switch may be accomplished by conventional hard wiring, infrared (IR) signal transmission and reception, or radio frequency (RF) signal transmission and reception, among others. Further, signals may be superimposed over existing powerboat hard wiring to minimize the need for additional hard wire connections.
The present invention also provides a junction box that houses the components of the position responsive system, which is easily retrofittable with existing ignition systems of powerboats. The junction box is relatively small and further comprises an adjustment screw that corresponds with a potentiometer to adjust the amount of time that the alarm and/or ignition disabling switch remains activated as more fully described below.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.